Railroad rail removing device



June 30, 1964 T. J. ATHEY 3,139,267

RAILROAD RAIL REMOVING DEVICE Filed May 2, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 N VEN TOR 7%arrza-s' c/Ilyikgy,

T. J. ATHEY RAILROAD RAIL REMOVING DEVICE June 30,1964

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United States Patent 3,139,267 RAELROAD RAIL REMBVENG DEVECE Thomas J. Athey, 1515 Royal Blvd, Glendale, Calif. Filed May 2, 1963, Ser. No. 277,601 8 Claims. (Cl. 254-404) This invention relates to the art of railway track maintenance and particularly to an improved means for removing rails preparatory to replacement by new rails.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a railway rail removing plow means adapted to be guided on and by the rail to be removed and, by a wedging action reacting from engagement with the rail supporting plates or seats, to lift the rail from the ties with incident pulling of the spikes by which the rail has been secured to the ties and With resultant removement of the rails while retaining the position of'the ties and rail supporting seat members unchanged for the immediate reception of new rails.

Another object of the invention is to provide a railway rail removing device having the foregoing characteristics which, by means of interchangeable guide means, is readily adaptable for a Wide range of rail sizes.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a railway rail removing device embodying the above described features which is of simple, sturdy construction comprising a minimum of separate parts and which is susceptible of economical manufacture.

With the foregoing objects in view, together with such additional objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides in the parts, and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts described by way of example in the following specification of certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of said specification and in which drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a pair of separate rail removing devices each constituting a first embodiment of the invention and showing the process of removing a pair of rails simultaneously by said pair of devices,

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of one of the devices shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged scale, bottom plan view of one of the said pair of devices, a portion thereof being broken out to permit showing on the enlarged scale,

FIG. 4 is a further enlarged scale rear end view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 6 is an enlarged scale, perspective view of one of the rail size accommodating guide blocks used with the device,

FIGS. 7 and 8 are enlarged scale transverse sectional views taken respectively, on the line 7-7 and 8-8 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of a second embodiment of the invention in which the two devices shown in the first embodiment are united into integral structure by means of certain cross members,

FIG. 10 is an enlarged scale rear elevational view of the second embodiment of the invention, and

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken on the line 1l-l1 of FIG. 10 and showing the cross sectional configuration of one of the cross members.

Referring first to FIGS. 18 of the drawings, the first disclosed embodiment of the invention comprises an elongated unitary body structure 1 which may be formed by being built up from steel parts welded together but which is preferably formed as a steel casting. The body 1 comprises parallel side member portions 2, 2 which are iden tical in side elevational configuration as viewed from the 3,139,267 Patented June 30., 1964 respective sides of the device. Each side member portion includes a bottom surface 3 which is generally straight except for a rounded front end edge 4 and said bottom surfaces are so spaced laterally of each other as to ride on the exposed ends of the rail seat members M on the railway ties T on which the rail R to be removed is supported. At longitudinally spaced points, the side member portions 2, 2 are united in their said parallel spaced relation by integral arch portions designated from front to rear of the body structure by the numerals 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 and each of said arch portions being disposed progressively higher with relation to the bottom surface edge than the arch portion forward thereof, the arch portions 5 and 9 being disposed at the front and rear ends, respectively of the body structure.

The side portions 2, 2 at the rear ends thereof, in addition to being united by the arch portion 9 are connected adjacent their lower ends by an integrally formed cross member 10 having the top surface thereof positioned below the under face of the arch portion 9 a distance which is in excess of the height of the largest size'or weight of rail with. which the device is intended to be used, it being noted in FIG. 4 that the side portions 2, 2, the arch portion 9 and the cross member 10 define an opening 11 in which the rail R is received.

The under faces and the adjacent side surfaces of each of the arch portions are machined to receive one each of unequal number of guide blocks 12 of inverted U-shape in cross section and which are removably secured on the under side of said arch portions by screws 13, 13; each of said blocks presenting a downwardly directed rail head receiving groove formed therein which is of a width and depth suitable to accornmadate the size or weight of rail with which the device is to be used.

The cross member 10 also constitutes the rear end of a forwardly extending tongue or plow 15 which is formed integrally therewith and which is defined by a lower face 16 disposed generally parallel to and laterally spaced from the bottom surfaces 3, 3 of the side portions 2, 2, a top face 17 forwardly and downwardly converging toward said bottom face and combining therewith to form a point 18 at about the midlength of the side portions 2, 2; the side faces 19, 19 of said plow portion being spaced from each other a distance not greater than the distance between a pair of spikes which secure opposite sides of the rail to a tie or, in other words, not materially greater than the width of the foot portion of the rail; and said side faces, further, being spaced from the inner side faces 20, 20 of the side portions 2, 2 a distance to afiord sufiicient clearance for the portions of the spikes S which secure the rail to the ties (see FIGS. 7 and 8) and said space beneath the cross member 10 forming grooves or channels 21, 21.

The side portions 2, 2 at the arch portion 5 are provided with one each of a pair of axially aligned, integrally formed, outwardly projecting studs 22, 22 adapted to be detachably engaged by the hooks 23, 23 on arms 24, 24 of a yoke member 25 having a bifurcated clevis end 26 carrying a clevis pin 27 by which the looped end E of a cable C is detachably secured to the yoke. The sides of the portions 2, 2 at the rear ends thereof are similarly provided with similar studs 28, 28 to which reference will later be made.

In use, assuming that proper rail guide blocks 12 have been installed and thatall rail anchors and signal wires have been detached from the rails, a pair of the devices of the above described first embodiment of the invention are placed in side-by-side relation one each over the ends of a pair of rails to be removed with the. points of the plow components started under the ends of the rails. The prior removal of the spikes from the first few ties facilitates this operation. The pair of devices are then coupled by cables or chains to a locomotive means which may be either a tractor running on the roadbed between the rails or a locomotive operatingon the rails, or a car pulled by a locomotive and are pulled along the rails. The side walls and guide blocks maintain the devices in alignment and the side portions 2, 2 riding on the rail seat members M cause the plows to elevate the rails and incidentally pull out the spikes from the ties sufliciently so that the front face of the member 10 can dislodge the spikes. If it becomes necessary to remove the device from the rail with which it has been engaged, as, for example, at the juncture of the rail with a switch frog or the like, the hook and cable means can be connected to the studs 28, 28 at the rear ends of the devices for that. purpose or these studs can be engaged by push rods connected to the means employed to pull the devices forwardly.

The loosened rails can then be moved laterally inwardly or outwardly and new rails quickly aligned and installed. Preferably the new rails will have been previously deposited between the rails to be removed so that the rail laying crews will only have to move the replaced rail outwardly to make room for the new rails which can then be quickly installed on the ties and rail seat members. It is to be particularly noted that since the rails have been removed by direct vertical reaction between the rails and the ties and rail seat members, the ties and rail seat members will not have been disturbed and little, if any,

alignment is required in installing the new rails, wherefore, the work can proceed at the rate of many miles per da Re erring to FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 there is shown a second embodiment of the invention in which the pair of devices for separate rails are combined in a single unit. Since, except for this interconnection of the units, the parts are similar, the description of those parts has not been repeated and they have been identified by the same numbers as in the preceding drawings with the addition of the exponent In this embodiment of the invention the two rail engaging devices are formed as an integral unit by the cross members 29, 30 and 31 which extend respectively between the arch portions 5', 7 and 9' of the devices in which the rails are received. Instead of the pair of yoke members to pull the separate devices, a single yoke member 32 is adapted to engage studs 33, 33 disposed on the outer surfaces at the front end of the device and said yoke member is provided with a clevise pin 34 for attachment to a single cable or chain for pulling it along the track. Also, at the rear end thereof, studs 35, 35 are provided which correspond to the outer studs 28, 28 of the first embodiment to afford means for removing the device from a pair of rails on which it may have been employed. The use and operation of the device is identical with that which has already been described. It is believed to be obvious that in addition to the use of the invention on track having exposed rails as shown, it is equally useful in the removal of rails which are disposed in trenches as in a pavement.

While in the foregoingspecification, certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed by way of example, the invention is not to be deemed to be limited to the specific details so disclosed, and it will be understood that the invention includes as well all such changes and modifications in the parts and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as shall come within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for removing a railroad rail from the ties and rail seat members of a railroad track comprising a wedge shaped, elongated plow device of a width capable of passing between the shanks of a pair of spikes securing opposite sides of a rail to a tie; and said plow device having a point at the forward end thereof adapted to be moved forwardly under the rail to be removed with resultant progressive lifting of the rail and attendant pulling of the spikes, and means for supporting and guiding said plow device comprising a body structure formed integrally with said plow device and connected thereto at the rear end of said plow device, said body structure having means engagable with the head of the rail to be elevated at points in advance of said plow device and at least at one point adjacent the rear end of said plow device and including parallel surfaces engageable with a plurality of the seat members in advance of the point of engagement of the rail with said plow device and with the rail seat members beneath said plow device and further having means for attachment to locomotive propelled means to pull said device along the engaged rail and said plow device having a bottom surface parallel to said parallel rail seat engaging members and an upwardly inclined upper surface extending rearwardly from said point adapted to engage the under surface of the rail effective, as said device is pulled along the rail to which it is applied, to elevate the rail and pull the spikes by which the rail is secured by the reaction against the rail seat members with resultant maintenance of the undisturbed position of the ties and rail seat members for installation of the replacement rail.

2. Arail removing device as claimed in claim 1 in which said body structure includes side portions disposed in spaced parallel relation at each side of the rail engaged by said device, the bottom faces of said side portions constituting said parallel rail seat engaging faces, and said side portions being united by a plurality of arch portions extending over the top of the engaged rail and formed integrally with said plow device and said body structure side portions. I 3. A rail removing device as claimed in claim 1 in which said side portions are spaced laterally from each other a distance sufficient to afford clearance for the foot ofthe engaged rail and the spikes by which the rail is secured to the ties.

4. A rail removing device as claimed in claim 1 in which the vertical height of said plow device at the rear end thereof is suflicient to pull the rail securing spikes clear of the ties.

5. A rail removing device as claimed in claim 1 including interchangeable rail head engaging elements effective to adapt said rail removing device to ditferent weights of rails.

6. A rail removing device as claimed in claim 2 in which said arch portions are disposed one each at each end of said body structure and at least one additional arch portion is disposed intermediate the ends of said body structure.

7. A rail removing device as claimed in claim 2 m which at least some of said arch portions are provided with removable and interchangeable rail head engaging guide members effective to adapt said rail removing device to different weights of rails.

8. Means for simultaneously removing a pair of rails from the ties and rail seat members of a railroad track comprising a pair of rail removing devices of the type claimed in claim 1 disposed in parallel side-bys-ide relation at a distance from each other corresponding to the gauge of the track; said devices being secured to each other by a plurality of crossmembers formed integrally with the body structures of said devices disposed one each at the forward and rear ends of said body structures and at least at one point intermediate the ends of said body structures, and means for attaching said rail removing means to locomotive propelled means for pulling said rail removing means along the track.

References (Jited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,941,803 Hunter Jan. 2, 1934 2,368,269 Spiegel Jan. 30, 1945 2,838,277 Currier June 10, 1958 UN1TED STATES PATENT OFFICE QERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION June 30, 1964 Patent N00 3,139, 26?

Thomas Jo Athey n the above numbered patthat error appears i should read as It is hereby certified ent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent corrected below.

In the heading to the printed specification, line 3 read 15 15 Royal Blvd,

for 1515 Royal Blvdo" Signed and sealed this 24th day of November 1964.,

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD J. BRENNER Commissioner of Patents ERNEST W. SWIDER Attesting Officer 

1. A DEVICE FOR REMOVING A RAILROAD RAIL FROM THE TIES AND RAIL SEAT MEMBERS OF A RAILROAD TRACK COMPRISING A WEDGE SHAPED, ELONGATED PLOW DEVICE OF A WIDTH CAPABLE OF PASSING BETWEEN THE SHANKS OF A PAIR OF SPIKES SECURING OPPOSITE SIDES OF A RAIL TO A TIE; AND SAID PLOW DEVICE HAVING A POINT AT THE FORWARD END THEREOF ADAPTED TO BE MOVED FORWARDLY UNDER THE RAIL TO BE REMOVED WITH RESULTANT PROGRESSIVE LIFTING OF THE RAIL AND ATTENDANT PULLING OF THE SPIKES, AND MEANS FOR SUPPORTING AND GUIDING SAID PLOW DEVICE COMPRISING A BODY STRUCTURE FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH SAID PLOW DEVICE AND CONNECTED THERETO AT THE REAR END OF SAID PLOW DEVICE, SAID BODY STRUCTURE HAVING MEANS ENGAGABLE WITH THE HEAD OF THE RAIL TO BE ELEVATED AT POINTS IN ADVANCE OF SAID PLOW DEVICE AND AT LEAST AT ONE POINT ADJACENT THE REAR END OF SAID PLOW DEVICE AND INCLUDING PARALLEL SURFACES ENGAGEABLE WITH A PLURALITY OF THE SEAT MEMBERS IN ADVANCE OF THE POINT OF ENGAGEMENT OF THE RAIL WITH SAID PLOW DEVICE AND WITH THE RAIL SEAT MEMBERS BENEATH SAID PLOW DEVICE AND FURTHER HAVING MEANS FOR ATTACHMENT TO LOCOMOTIVE PROPELLED MEANS TO PULL SAID DEVICE ALONG THE ENGAGED RAIL AND SAID PLOW DEVICE HAVING A BOTTOM SURFACE PARALLEL TO SAID PARALLEL RAIL SEAT ENGAGING MEMBERS AND AN UPWARDLY INCLINED UPPER SURFACE EXTENDING REARWARDLY FROM SAID POINT ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE UNDER SURFACE OF THE RAIL EFFECTIVE, AS SAID DEVICE IS PULLED ALONG THE RAIL TO WHICH IT IS APPLIED, TO ELEVATE THE RAIL AND PULL THE SPIKES BY WHICH THE RAIL IS SECURED BY THE REACTION AGAINST THE RAIL SEAT MEMBERS WITH RESULTANT MAINTENANCE OF THE UNDISTURBED POSITION OF THE TIES AND RAIL SEAT MEMBERS FOR INSTALLATION OF THE REPLACEMENT RAIL. 